Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Happy Tuesday, fitness friends! Hope your week has gotten off to a great start! I am OBSESSED with this weather we've been having here in the Midwest. (High of 70, WHAT?) I love sleeping with the windows open, so it has been just lovely!The past week was pretty great as far as my workouts are concerned. I was pretty off-point on my nutrition, though. I've been hungrier than usual, probably b/c PiYo has been kicking my A** so bad, and I've been sore almost everyday! But, that was no reason to eat as many chips as I ate last week! Back on track this week, though!Here's what I did!Monday was TURBO! Amazing class, huge calorie burn, as always!

I wore my Pinkelicious Speed Shorts from Lululemon,my neon yellow twistie tank from Underarmour, and my awesome new bra from Fabletics. This bra is SUPER supportive and comfy, but a nightmare to get off when you're sweaty. Be warned!

Tuesday I taught PiYo, and I mixed up a couple of sections for something new, just to keep it fresh, and WOW. So hard. My core was especially worn out by the end of this class. LOVE. IT!

I dressed uncharacteristically in all black, wearing my fave Roll Down Wunder Under crops from Lululemon, and my black Power Y tank from Lululemon. Comfy and flattering!

Wednesday I ended up taking a brisk 2-mile walk with Rowan instead of running. The weather was amazing and it felt great to just walk and chat with him through our neighborhood! After that, I had PiYo again. It was a great class, which was a huge relief after feeling so "off" last Wednesday!

I wore these awesome new mint capris from Glyder, and my Vintage Pink Flow and Go tank from Lululemon. I love this outfit, so it definitely will be making a ton of apperances!

Thursday I went for a 4-mile "fun" run! I didn't worry about pace. I listened to awesome tunes. I walked when I felt like it. I sang. I rapped. I might have even danced a bit. LOL! But it was glorious, and I felt great at the end! Definitely need more runs like this!

I still love seeing those negative splits!

I wore my grey and pink stripe Underarmour tank, and my black Speed Shorts from Lululemon. (Disclaimer: These shorts are SO comfy, but I have to use Body Glide on my legs to keep them from rubbing and chafing. Seriously. BodyGlide is a lifesaver. If you have thighs, you need some in your life.)

Friday I did yoga in my office on my lunch break. I did a power yoga class by Kathryn Budig from YogaGlo, and it was AWESOME! I felt amazing after! I am so happy to be incorporating more full yoga practices into my life. I need at least one per week.

I wore my fave new outfit again, and did one of my best Crow poses ever after the class was over!

Saturday was double PiYo day, which is still not getting any easier... I don't think it will. Honestly, it's probably too much, but I love both classes, and I can always take a nap after, so I am keeping it! I also kinda like the exhaustion when it's over. HA!Sunday was glorious glorious wonderful rest day. I moved as little as possible. :)Here's the plan for this week!Monday: Turbo + walk with Rowan (done!)Tuesday: PiYo + short, brisk walk with RowanWednesday: 2-mile run + PiYoThursday: 4-mile run or yoga at lunchFriday: 4-mile run or yoga at lunchSaturday: double PiYoSunday: REST!As I said, nutrition was pretty iffy for me last week, but so far so good this week! I have chopped salads with roast chicken or black beans for my lunches, and working hard to eat a reasonable amount for supper! We'll have black bean quesadillas, Greek salad with chicken and pita strips, breakfast for dinner (eggs, Eggos, sausage), and Maize Mexican takeout one night. Should be a good week!I'll be back later this week with another Fashion Friday post! Stay tuned!Have a lovely week! Cheers!xoxo,Julie

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Happy Tuesday! This feels like a Monday, so I'm calling today Second Monday. Never a good thing. ;)My week was pretty good as far as workouts last week. I did ok nutrition-wise, though I had a "hungry" week, so I felt like I was eating nonstop all week! Working to keep that in check this week! I'm going to try to do better about taking pics of my food, too! More on that later! :)Here's what I did!Monday was Turbo. We did a true HIIT workout, with Turbos (anaerobic drills) every 2 minutes or so, for about 20 minutes, then some recovery cardio, then HARDCORE ab work, and done! It was awesome. My class works SO hard, and I love it!

I wore my neon coral booty shorts and my pink and grey flowy tank, both from Underarmour. Love! I practiced a lil Pincha after class!

Tuesday I taught PiYo, still doing Round 34, but I switched out the Core & More section for a different one so that we can alternate each week. It was SO hard, I was sore all week from it! (Side Note: We did this section to a song called "Shatter Me" by Lindsey Stirling. LOVE it, you must check it out!)

Wednesday I went for a 2-mile run, and since I have new running shoes, it was awesome! It really makes a huge difference!

After my run, PiYo time again! I felt like I was having an "off" day with teaching on this day. I'm not really sure why, but I powered through anyway, and hopefully no one noticed. ;)Thursday I did a 60-minute yoga class from YogaGlo, taught by Kathryn Budig, and it was AH-MAZING! I have GOT to make time for at least one full yoga class each week. It works wonders for the way I feel, and most importantly, my body image. I don't have an explanation as to why, but it does! After work, I practiced a couple of challenge poses I didn't have time or room for in my office. :)

So proud of this pose!

Friday I ran 4 miles! I'm trying to transition to having a rest day on Sundays, since I usually feel like a lazy bum after double-PiYo Saturday. ;) I intended to just go for a slow, "easy" run, but the weather was PERFECT, my new shoes felt amazing, and my playlist was AWESOME! So I ended up running a pretty fast pace! It was a GREAT workout! :)

I love to finish a run with "'Til I Collapse." I keep my steps on beat with the song, which ends up being a full-out sprint! Perfect way to finish strong!

Saturday was double-PiYo day! I was really tired getting up, but I always feel good once I get to the gym and get started! Both classes were great, and as usual, I was a puddle of wet noodles after. :)

I wore my grey striped Underarmour shorts, a white Lulu Scoop me Up Tank, and my Zing Pink Forme Jacket, also from Lululemon. Isn't this headstand cool? I was so surprised I could do it!

Saturday evening we had our engagement party/cookout, which was SO much fun (more about that later!), so Sunday's rest day was MUCH needed! I nursed a bit of a hangover, and just relaxed most of the day! Here's the plan for this week!Monday: Turbo Kick HIIT (done!)Tuesday: PiYoWednesday: 2-mile run + PiYoThursday: YogaGlo classFriday: 4-mile runSaturday: double PiYo!Sunday: rest

As far as meals, I have planned turkey sandwiches and hummus for lunches, and for dinner we will have leftover burgers with zucchini and corn on the cob, a Crab Risotto dish from Hello Fresh, tacos from Maize Mexican restaurant, and an extra dinner out this week with a super generous gift we received at our engagement party. :) What does your week look like? Have a great week!Cheers!xoxo,Julie

Friday, July 18, 2014

Happy happy Friday, friends! I love doing Fashion Friday posts. Maybe it means I'm vain? I dunno, but fashion is fun, so hopefully you enjoy reading them, too! (P.S. The style ideas you can get from Pinterest are AWESOME!)

Here are a few of my favorite outfits from the past week!

I got this beautiful blue blouse in my July Stitch Fix and I LOVE it! I wore it to the office with these long white shorts, also from Stitch Fix (brand is Kut From The Kloth) and sandals for a casual day! I love that they sent me something blue. I NEVER would've picked this out for myself, but I LOVE it! That's the fun of Stitch Fix!

Another StitchFix WIN! Isn't this skirt gorgeous? I am not a big fan of maxi skirts, but when I saw these colors, I knew I had to keep it. I struggled with how to style it but finally fell in love with this white tank and cardi combo. The cami is the best-loved cami from Express, and the cardigan was another Stitch Fix find!

For weekending, I am LOVING this mint + white combo! Top is a Portofino shirt from Express, and the shorts are Midi shorts from American Eagle. Necklace is also from AE!

Another favorite weekend look! Blouse is from StitchFix, and shorts are those America Eagle Midi shorts in khaki! (Can you tell where I get most of my clothes? HAHA!)

My favorite work outfit his week! This blouse was a birthday gift, another Portofino shirt from Express (I think I have like 10 of these now-- seriously, so versatile and classy!) and white Wide-Waistband Editor pants, also from Express. My open-toe nude pumps are from-- you guessed it-- Express! This top might be my favorite that I own. It goes with everything, and you can't go wrong with polka dots!

Clearly, I get most of my staples from 3 different places. I am loving Stitch Fix for getting me out of my comfort zone, but I love Express and AE for the staples you can never have too many of! They have great sales, so that doesn't hurt either.

I've been trying to be better about accessorizing, so I've been on the hunt for cute things! Tell me your favorite accessory!

So what are your thoughts on Fashion Friday? Does it interest you? Does it give you style ideas? Are you just tired of looking at my selfies? ;) And most importantly, what are you wearing? :D

Monday, July 14, 2014

Hello, my dears! Happy Monday! I'm not going to lie, Monday mornings are always pretty rough for me... I tend to stay up too late on Sundays, and then well, it's Monday. I'm super excited for the week ahead, and for next weekend, though, so that definitely eased the sting a little! I had a pretty good week of workouts last week! Here's what I did!Monday was TURBO day, and I had some new clothes I got for my birthday, so that made it even more fun! I love Round 59, and we did FOUR Turbo drills, so that was pretty nuts! Super fun, though! :)

Tuesday I taught PiYo, and we are doing a new Lesson (34), which I LOVE! It's such a total-body butt-kicker! I am always drenched and shaky after! Love that I can get it all done in 1 hour. (P.S. Did you know you can now do PiYo at HOME? Check it out here.) My class also worked super hard, which is just so motivating!

I wore my new Wunder Unders again (don't judge me!) my parallel stripe Energy bra (both from lululemon) and my new neon yellow tank from Underarmour. I also did a handstand! YAY!

Wednesday the weather was AMAZING, so I hurried out after work to get a quick run in before PiYo!

I wore my new awesome UA hat to keep the sun out of my eyes! Love it!

This is super fast for me!

PiYo was awesome, as always, though I don't usually teach the same Lesson twice in a row. Since this one is new, I did, and I definitely prefer not to do that!Thursday I rested. Friday I got up early and went for a 3-mile run. It was lovely to run in the quiet with no traffic and just me and the birdies. :)

This is also really fast for me, at 5:45am! :)

Saturday was double PiYo day. This is really hard for me with this new Lesson. I definitely need some R&R afterwards! After this week, I will go back to switching up the routines we do for each class.

When I got up, it was thundering and raining, and I did NOT wanna! Thank goodness it's my job. ;) I figured no one would even be there, but I walked at 7am in to a class of like 15! Crazy early birds! :) It was really fun, and really kept my energy up! The storm got worse, so the 8am class was pretty sparse compared to its usual size (I think we had 8). Those 8 were troopers for braving the rain, though, and we had another great workout! Sunday I had planned to run, but Rowan and I went grocery shopping, and went to several home improvement stores looking for a new gas grill, and by the time we finished all that, I was hot, sweaty, and tired, so I just ended up resting. I am thinking maybe Sunday needs to be my new rest day, since double PiYo Saturday is really kicking my ass! We'll see. Here's what I have planned for this week!Monday: Turbo + catchup on my yoga challenge poses (I'm like 5 days behind)Tuesday: run 2-3 miles + PiYoWednesday: PiYo Thursday: rest or run 3 miles + long stretchFriday: rest or run 3 miles + long stretchSaturday: double PiYo!Sunday: Slllooowww run/walk + yoga, or rest. (this will all depend on how I feel) For meals this week, I have tried to make it easy for myself to stay on track! (Not counting the cookies that remain from my baking frenzy yesterday! hehe)For lunch, I have 4 taco salads (I do not get sick of taco salad. Ever.) and I'll order a sandwich one day.

For supper, we will have jambalaya, salad with grilled peaches and steak or chicken (both courtesy of Hello Fresh), tacos from Maize, and breakfast for dinner. I still owe you that Hello Fresh review, too! Soon! :)

I cannot believe July is half over! Where is this summer going?! What do you lovelies have planned for meals and workouts this week? Chat with you soon! Thanks for reading! xoxo,Julie